Pages

Saturday, June 6, 2015

A New Sewing Adventure

I know, I know I normally talk about quilting or some sort of patchwork on here but......I started sewing garments...well one so far. I made myself a skirt.

This is the pattern that I choose.

It is made by the pattern company NewLook and is # A6288 U.S. sizes: 8-20

I bought this at a big box store for you guessed it $2.97 I figured when I bought it if I never used it I would not be out that much money.

Now I wear a size 12 in store bought clothes. That being said using stretchy fabric I cut this skirt out at a size 18.

The skirt I made is just like the one the model is wearing. It is almost the same as the popular "Maxi Skirts" that you have seen in stores and online.

You might notice that the pattern says just 4 knits. That is what I choose to use. Now I know what you are thinking for your first garment you choose KNIT!

I did but......not without doing much research. I found a video on you tube that explained how to sew with knits.

It is from Vanessa from Crafty Gemini you can click the link to see her blog but I found her on You Tube.

Here is the first video of her's I watched to find out all about knits.

The above is part one. Below is part 2.

These videos were where I started.

Here is the fabric I choose. It is a medium weight knit. I bought it from a chain sewing store.

Here is one of the hard parts about using knits. When you wash them (which I found out you should before you start sewing with them) they "roll". You can iron this and I did. And still....

In the video it talks about needles and how important they are to sewing knits. It suggests to use ballpoint needles but at the chain fabric store I visited they did not sell them so I bought the stretch needles. I had no problem at all using these.Another important point in the video is the stitch you need to set your machine to.

Luckily my machine (Janome 10001) has a "Stretch Stitch" I never knew what this stitch was for. Don't worry if you don't have this stitch Vanessa tells you how to set your machine up to use a regular zig zag stitch.

Here is the finished product.

It looks very much like a Maxi Skirt and fits like one too.

Sorry for the very blurry pictures I had to take them myself.I hope this helps you have the confidence to maybe start your own garment sewing project soon. If you have any questions I would be happy to help you find answers. Linking up with:Sew Can She for: Show it off SaturdayQuilt Story for: Fabric TuesdayFreemotion by the River for: Linky TuesdayCreating My Way to Success for: A-Round-Tuit (jembellish)Keep it Simple Crafts for: Motivate Me Monday

When I was young, I made nearly all of my clothes. Then I discovered quilting and quit making clothes. I was having more and more trouble getting patterns to fit. (I think they were sized for people with the dimensions of a Barbie doll.) The quilts didn't have to fit. Now I laugh because I see lots of my old patterns in antique stores. And I haven't been tempted to sew clothing again. Until now. I like the look of the "new" maxi skirts, and I think that was a great choice for you. And if I start sewing clothing again, I would certainly choose knits. As long as you know the tricks for sewing knits, it does seem easy to get the fit you want. Congrats on a wonderful finish!